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Why Even Jeff Sessions Can’t Stop The Marijuana Train From Rolling

Adam Bierman
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Why Even Jeff Sessions Can’t Stop The Marijuana Train From Rolling

In November, the country elected a new president who promised to shake up Washington. At the same time, the cannabis industry took a giant leap forward with seven states voting yes to measures further legalizing marijuana. In total, California, Nevada, Massachusetts and Maine legalized recreational use, and Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas legalized medical use, bringing the total number of states with legal marijuana to 29.

The recent slate of successful marijuana-related measures at the state level could be viewed as a national referendum on cannabis. The “yes” votes cut across party lines and presidential candidates. Today, two-thirds of Americans live in states with legal access to cannabis.

 California, the first to pass medical marijuana two decades ago, is arguably the most significant bellwether state in the evolution of cannabis. It is the country’s most populous state, the sixth largest economy in the world and a cultural trendsetter. California’s Proposition 64 legalizing adult use of marijuana passed with 57 percent of the votes.

Since then, there has been much speculation about what one event means for the other.

As President-elect Donald Trump nominates members of his cabinet, some have conjectured about what U.S. Attorney General appointee Jeff Sessions, a Republican senator from Alabama, might mean for the future of the cannabis industry. The sober conclusion? Very little.

It is true that Mr. Sessions publicly has expressed contempt for marijuana users, but it is a giant leap to equate one’s personal stance with a public policy position that will impact millions of lives. You can be a teetotaler, but still believe that the best way for government to control alcohol consumption is to regulate it, not ban it.

“The cannabis industry is on track to reach $23 billion by the end of the decade, it is already a major economic engine employing more than 100,000 and generating millions in tax revenue.” 

What we do know, from a policy perspective, is that Mr. Trump is on the record saying marijuana policy is something best left to the states, a position consistent with Republican Party’s core doctrines.

U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), a long-time supporter of marijuana policy reform in Capitol Hill, told reporters recently that he trusts that Mr. Trump’s hands-off approach is likely to prevail.

In fact, Mr. Rohrabacher may hold more sway on federal policy than anyone in the executive branch when it comes to marijuana. The Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment, which he co-authored, prohibits the U.S. Department of Justice from prosecuting those who engage in state-sanctioned use, cultivation and dispensing of medical marijuana. It was first passed in 2014 with bipartisan support and again in 2015. It needs to be renewed each year, but it is currently the law.

Others have pointed out that the president cannot nullify state laws, and only Congress has the power to pass federal laws. And Congress’ attitude toward marijuana is likely to reflect the U.S. electorate. The vast majority of Americans today favor legalizing marijuana, about 60 percent, the largest percentage ever, according to recent polls.

There are currently several bills working their way through Congress that could further ease Prohibition, including the Marijuana Business Access to Banking Act that would update federal banking rules to resolve conflicts between federal and state laws and allow banks and credit unions to provide services to legitimate marijuana businesses. U.S. Rep. Denny Heck (D-Wash.), a co-author of the banking bill, has said the results of this year’s elections could give his bill a boost.

As more and more states legalize marijuana, the federal stance will be become untenable in the long run. It is fundamentally unfair that the same act of consuming marijuana can be perfectly legal in one state, and land you in prison in another. President Barack Obama made that very point during a recent interview with Bill Maher telling the television host that the time will come when the federal government must review its stance on cannabis.

With all due respect to President-elect Trump and Mr. Sessions, this debate is larger than one administration or one cabinet nomination. The cannabis industry is on track to reach $23 billion by the end of the decade, it is already a major economic engine employing more than 100,000 and generating millions in tax revenue.

The way for progress is not to turn back time, but to continue institutionalizing this space with professional standards and reasonable regulations that protect consumers and citizens.

Commentary by Adam Bierman, chief executive officer and co-founder of MedMen, a Los Angeles-based firm that offers turnkey services for cannabis license holders and makes strategic investments in key cannabis markets across the U.S. and Canada. He is a longtime supporter of Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), helping launch the Pledge 4 Growth campaign with the advocacy group in 2015. Follow him on Twitter @_AdamBierman_.

This story first appeared on CNBC.com.

Fresh Playlist: J. Cole Folds Clothes, Taylor Swift And Zayn Team Up

Brendan Bures
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Fresh Playlist: J. Cole Folds Clothes, Taylor Swift And Zayn Team Up

With new music flying like warp-speed through the various channels of the Internet, it can be hard to keep up. But worry not! Each week The Fresh Toast will deliver the most-discussed and exciting songs that have recently dropped. Landed. Crashed. And also: soared. Enjoy.

J. Cole—“Foldin Clothes”

This week, human throw pillow J. Cole released his new record 4 Your Eyez Only. Overall, my frustrations with the rapper lie on aesthetic plane: his gooey, genuine persona hides his lack of depth. His rhymes often follow the simplest of rhythms and carries the mystic profundity of a magic 8 ball. In many ways, he’s the elevation of the most basic rapper alive. But he’s earnest and relatable, two qualities many rappers aren’t and two qualities seriously lacking in many of his fans’ lives. The culture perhaps needs a person like J. Cole, and his intentions remain honorable.

So please understand how reasonable I try to act when evaluating J. Cole. As a human, I like J. Cole; as a rapper, I find him boring. Though he has made great music: Friday Night Lights was a defining mixtape growing up and his music has an earworm ability that you catch yourself singing along. I really, really wanted 4 Your Eyez Only to win me over. Those first tracks “For Whom the Bell Tolls” (admission: J. Cole is great at album openers) and “Immortal” are great. But it eventually gave away to the thin, bland, vanilla music typically characteristic of his work. Like “Foldin Clothes.”

That track title isn’t a metaphor, it isn’t a neat trick, it doesn’t mean anything except that: J. Cole wants to fold clothes for his baby. Oh, and he’s drinking almond milk. Look I loathe when writers belabor a criticism so instead let’s poll some internet reactions to the record. Reading these help me feel less crazy about my J. Cole opinions.

https://twitter.com/BRANDONWARDELL/status/807253549214109700

Zayn Malik & Taylor Swift—“I Don’t Wanna Live Forever”

https://twitter.com/Narshh/status/807279392187645953

This record shouldn’t work, but it does. That doesn’t qualify it as great; though it accomplishes it goals of bigness. Zayn shows off an impressive falsetto range while Taylor Swift (I guess?) introduces us to darker, sexier Tay Tay. It’s not that believable. But she plays the part well enough.

Post Malone—“I Fall Apart”

The truth is Post Malone didn’t really need to stray from “White Iverson” to remain successful. He could continue producing derivative “White Iverson” tracks and make a great living. But Post Malone’s Stoney album showcases Post as a crooner exploring folk and country music. He’s not so much shedding hip hop, as the tender “I Fall Apart” shows, but swirling into his own alchemy.

Ab-Soul—“D.R.U.G.S.”

Though his previous record These Days… was a stumble for the TDE rapper, Do What Thou Wilt finds Solo filtering twisted boom bap with air-tight, lyrical acrobatics. It’s dark and confessional and forthright in all the right ways.

Cat Clyde—“Mama Said”

While most of this playlist, and most playlists in general, obsess over the new, Cat Clyde is here to bring us back to the old. Her sweet singer-songwriter croon over a strumming guitar and clapping drums is the exact bridge this year needs.

Marijuana Will Be Legal In Massachusetts Next Week

Al Olson
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Marijuana Will Be Legal In Massachusetts Next Week

Marijuana consumers in Massachusetts will not have to hold their breath much longer to toke legally. Exhale, citizens of the Commonwealth. By next Thursday, you will be able to enjoy the herb without fear of arrest.

Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin said on Friday that votes from the November election will be certified in time for the new law to take effect on December 15, the start date stipulated in the ballot question voters approved overwhelmingly.

Question 4, which won by more than 1.7 million votes, allows adults 21 years and older to possess, use, and purchase marijuana beginning on Thursday. Citizens can possess up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence and grow up to 12 plants per household.  Marijuana accessories —bongs, pipes, vaporizers, etc. — will also be legal on Thursday.

“We’re very happy that he certification was done in time to honor the will of the voters,” says Jim Borghesani, the former spokesman for the Yes on 4 campaign.

Earlier this week, state officials indicated that they may slow down the process, pushing back the schedule despite the bill’s clear language.

“We’ve had discussions about delaying some of the days to give us some time to fine-tune the bill, and in the next few weeks we may have to make a final decision on that,” Senate President Stan Rosenberg said on Monday.

A word of warning: It will still be against the law to smoke cannabis in public. If you want to celebrate the occasion,partake in the comfort of your home.

Here is the full text of the law.

Highway is an essential source for cannabis science, how-to stories and demystifying marijuana. Want to read more? Thy these posts: One Man’s Journey In Pursuit Of The Truth Behind Marijuana Prohibition, Marijuana Myth Busting: Does Holding In Smoke Get You Higher? and A Drag Queen’s Visit To The Cannabis Store. 

Nature Fun Facts: You Can Hear Corn Grow And We Have A Recording

Maria Loreto
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Nature Fun Facts: You Can Hear Corn Grow And We Have A Recording

Can you hear corn grow? At first, this might sound like a stupid question. Of course you can’t, that would make no sense. Buuuut, science has proven otherwise.

Douglas Cook argues that by listening to corn you can prevent corn stalk failure, a problem millions of scientists have been battling with over the years. Cook isn’t simply grabbing corn, putting it next to his ear and listening closely; he is leading a group of plant scientists that have teamed up with engineers and have designed special sensors that expand the sound the corn makes during its formation, helping them pinpoint the moment something goes wrong with its development.

via GIPHY

Through sound, these scientists have also discovered that corn grows through breakage, much like your muscles do when you work out; by tearing themselves up, healing, and then growing stronger.

This is a big deal for science since it opens a bunch of doors in terms of what scientists could do with this technology and all the things they can discover about other plants and preventing the failure of crops in the future.

Cook’s discovery has been a recent one, so we’re just at the beginning of what this could mean for the future of corn. In the meantime, you can watch this video of a farmer explaining the “crackling” sound the corn makes while growing.

And here we have a recording of corn doing its thing:

Op Ed: It’s Time To End The Ban On Marijuana In Sports

Drug Policy Alliance
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Op Ed: It’s Time To End The Ban On Marijuana In Sports

In the last week we heard from NBA legend Phil Jackson and Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr talking about their own marijuana use and how they think professional sports leagues like the NBA and NFL should change their marijuana policies.

Marijuana should not be a banned substance in professional sports.

Marijuana is legal for medical use in 28 states and recreational use in 8 states plus Washington D.C., yet it is a banned substance in most professional sports and athletes are not allowed to use it. It is time for the sports world to catch up with the times and adopt more rational marijuana policies.

The National Football League (NFL) is the clearest example of a backwards marijuana policy. The NFL ignores the medicinal benefits of marijuana, most notably its ability to treat chronic pain, and that comes with the territory of being a professional football player.

Instead, prescription opioid painkillers are the preferred treatment method. Former Pro-Bowler Calvin Johnson spent nine years on the Detroit Lions and said painkillers were handed out “like candy.” Retired players like Jim McMahon and others have talked about developing an addiction to those medications. NBA All-Star Blake Griffin supports medical marijuana specifically because “many guys would probably benefit from it and not take as many painkillers, which have worse long-term effects.”

If people are suffering from chronic pain, using marijuana with painkillers can help reduce the amount of painkillers needed, and in some cases people have been able to completely replace their use of painkillers with marijuana. Overdose is an issue being discussed across the country right now and a 2014 study showed that opiate overdoses decreased by a nearly 25% average in states that have implemented medical marijuana laws compared to states that have not.

The NFL is also dealing with a concussion crisis – many players are retiring early and some people are choosing not to play football at all because of the consequences that can come later in life after having too many head injuries. The non-psychoactive part of marijuana known as CBD has the potential to treat and even prevent concussions. The NFL should set an example by investing in marijuana research to see how it can help improve the health of its players.

Former Super Bowl champions Marvin Washington, Scott Fujita and Brendon Ayanbadejo helped start a conversation two years ago calling on the NFL to incorporate medical marijuana in their strategy for treating and preventing concussions. Eugene Monroe continued the debate earlier this year when he became the first current player to call on the NFL to look at the benefits of medical marijuana. He has since been joined by Derrick Morgan.

Last month Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson was suspended for 10 games because he uses marijuana to treat Crohn’s disease, which is a qualifying condition under New York’s medical marijuana program. Athletes should not be treated differently when it comes to marijuana – they should be able to use it in places where it is legal.

Earlier this year, NBA veteran Al Harrington came out in strong support of California’s Prop. 64 to legalize marijuana – not only because he thinks it should be legal, but because he sees marijuana legalization and drug policy reform as a racial equity issue. He said, “I’ve been in the marijuana-industry space for the last five years, and I’ve seen that it’s a predominately white space. And minorities, we’re the ones that are locked up behind it.”

Attitudes about marijuana are changing rapidly; 60% of Americans are in favor of legalizing it. Athletes and sports leagues in general have a large influence on our culture, and if these leagues change their marijuana policies they can make a big impact to help change the way people think about marijuana (and the people who use it).

It’s time for all professional sports leagues to do the socially responsible thing: stop using the playbook and rhetoric from the failed drug war and create more fair marijuana policies.

Highway is an essential source for cannabis science, how-to stories and demystifying marijuana. Want to read more? Thy these posts: The Majority Of Americans Now Want Legal Marijuana, Seattle’s Swankiest Marijuana Store Opens Its Doors. 

The Village People’s Randy Jones Speaks On Gay Marriage

Robert Galinsky
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The Village People’s Randy Jones Speaks On Gay Marriage

I’m standing on East 7th Street in front of Abraco Espresso and Bakery, on a cool autumn day in the East Village. Just finished one of their house specialties: a delicate sandwich made from a chilled hard boiled egg, a crisp of onion, and a thin slice of pickled beet. Delicious. I glance up the block and watch as Randy Jones, the iconic cowboy figure from The Village People, walks towards me. He’s got long lean strides and is festooned in cowboy hat, leather vest, boots and of course he’s sporting his signature (portrait of a ’70s) moustache.

Randy doesn’t go unnoticed as his boots click the cement and it’s not long before someone wants to give him a high five, share a lyric from a song, or simply step back, take him in, and smile in awe of this American musical legend. He’s got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, has graced the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, is known for hits, like “Macho Man, “In the Navy,” “Y.M.C.A.,” and he’s earned 75 gold and platinum records.

Yet what’s most exciting for me is that Randy and I are East Village neighbors and that means we get to speak and exchange ideas that range from the very micro and local (Manhattan’s disappearing gas stations), to the global (climate change and human emissions). I can feel his exuberance as he spies me and approaches with a wide smile. He immediately gives me a warm and lovely hug and I know he’s solid.

Randy Jones: What’s up Galinsky? I’m running short on time, what’s on your mind?

I sip my espresso and do not hesitate.

Galinsky: Randy there is so much panic and threat and discouraging speech around the gay marriage issue, what are your thoughts about if ‘THEY come to take gay marriage away’?
RJ: Well, it certainly seems to be a “Twilight Zone” episode wrapped in a Bizzaro World, wrapped in an “Outer Limits” episode currently, doesn’t it? But having lived long enough, and seen a rather steady march forward of the progressive movement, we have come quite a ways in our common national history of 240 years and we have a helluva way to go yet. However, to reverse to any major degree those advances we have accomplished so far would take a monumental shift and despite all the con-man bluster and braggadocio apparent in the current political climate, I don’t believe we have arrived at that monumental shift.

Pause. Siren fades up 1st Avenue. A delivery person on an electric bike whizzes by.

RJ: Having said all of this, if one day THEY come to me for my LEGAL MARRIAGE LICENSE, they will have to pry it from my cold dead hand.

G: Ok then. So tell us how to handle the struggle that continues for gay rights in the face of the Trump administration, his picks and his braggadocio, his bluster?

Randy squares up his broad shoulders and looks straight into my eyes.

RJ: Be forever vigilant and forever on guard. Never give up. Always keep one’s eyes open and keep your mind clear. Lead with compassion, respect and humility. And I repeat: Never give up. Forever and a day.

A car motors by and someone yells “Macho Man!” Randy smiles and waves, I continue.

G: You are a happily married gay man.
RJ: Yes, indeed my husband and I have been together for nearly 33 years, as of March 2017. We were originally married in NYC May 7th, 2004, although even then we were still not granted a legal license. However, when that initial wave of enthusiasm for marriage equality began to wash across the nation from Mayor Gavin Newsome’s officiating at weddings in San Francisco to the Mayor of Newburgh, NY presiding over several same-sex weddings there, my husband surprised me during an event for the release of one of his CDs in the NYC nightspot where The Mamas and Papas, Dylan, Barbra Streisand and others had appeared, as I was introducing him from the DJ booth, with a marriage proposal.

G: And you responded with?
RJ: Of course I immediately said yes. And as he is the ultimately prepared and perfect spouse, he had an ordained minister in the audience ready to come up and perform the ceremony right there. Not only did he lovingly catch me completely off-guard, but he totally surprised the packed venue of nearly 500 people in the middle of NYC Greenwich Village. So, in the most appropriate of places, a DJ Booth in the middle of NYC’s Greenwich Village, the Cowboy from Village People was married… To a guy.

We both let the sound of his last three words linger in the air. It feels like we’re wishing the phrase “to a guy” will echo throughout the city and across the rivers and onto the interstates and into the heartland of America, where everyone believes in what cowboys say and do.

image2
Photo by Peter Ross

G: Sounds perfect.
RJ: The scene could not have been more perfect. And then the bottom kinda fell out of the hopeful movement that marriage equality would become a national reality. The struggle continued, for nearly another decade, but we had our ceremony and at the very least, the sanctioned imprimatur of a ceremony and a public declaration of our love and relationship.

G: Which can’t ever be taken away.
RJ: When it did become the law of the nation, we organized and planned a three-day event in NYC utilizing the City itself as the stage and background. The first evening was a romantic proposal with 50 of our closest family members and friends, including our moms, on “The Ride” (a custom-built theater bus) while we toured Manhattan. We paused at Columbus Circle and we witnessed a pas de deux dance by two members of the American Ballet Theatre to our theme song sung by Andrea Bocelli. Romantic, eh?

I nod yes, sip more espresso, he continues the story.

RJ: The next day, Friday, we were married with an entourage of the same 50 folks at New York City Hall. And the piece de resistance came the next day as we celebrated with an Italian feast (my husband is Italian) within the Feast of San Genarro.

G: Sounds like an epic New York wedding.
RJ: Our goal was to honor the city in which we met and had provided us the nurturing and sustenance for our entire life together. So we definitely made it a New York City-type of event. It could not have been better.

I know he’s getting fidgety. He starts to toe a golden brown leaf on the steps of Abraco. He sees my demitasse is finished, so I shift up another gear.

G: Ok Randy, the holidays are upon us! Got any holiday recipes to share?
RJ: You ready for it?

G: I’m listening.
RJ: Remember this holiday recipe: 1 1/2 ounces of Ketel One Vodka, 4 ounces of pineapple juice, and a splash of Chambourd.

G: Delicious. And in other festive news, any thoughts on the current cannabis revolution that is taking place?
RJ: As far as I’m aware, use of cannabis has far less damaging effects on human beings compared to alcohol. I do however believe that any substance that can impede one’s reflexes and reactions, should not be consumed when performing any action that might endanger oneself or another, like operating an automobile or performing surgery.

image1
Photo by Brad Elterman

G: Got it. Last thing, before we split, I can’t let you go without hearing about your current creativity and what you might be excited about right now?
RJ: Now y’all know I’m ALWAYS excited Galinsky. My latest CD, “Mister Right” is doing great and I’ve got a great new single, “Hard Times,” that I just released with upcoming re-mixes that drops early 2017. I appear in the horror film, “Tales of Poe,” and I shot a new film, The Rack Pack with C. Thomas Howell.  My concert, “Glory Days and Disco Nights,” I perform around the globe and it’s also the name of my upcoming memoir. Currently, you can catch me in the acclaimed web-series, “Child of the 70s.” I guess I keep myself rather busy. But we manage to spend two or three weeks each year at Disney World.  I can honestly say that I’ve never been bored a day in my life.

I can feel the New York City tempo rising up in him now. His cadence changed on just the last line, “I’ve never been bored a day in my life.” My Manhattan sidewalk social sensibilities are telling me this is about to be over so I push for one more high note to end on and I blurt out-

G: Any final positive thoughts or affirmations you’d like to share?

He slows it down. Randy’s got a serious look in his eyes. He’s a combination of all he’s conjured from living in New York City, to touring his music around the globe, to posing for people’s sheer happiness. He speaks slowly.

RJ: Always say “Please” and “Thank you”.

Pause.

Never miss an opportunity to share a compliment.

Pause.

Drink plenty of water.

Pause, and then from this point on he flows and flows.

Eat lots of vegetables and fruit. Smile. Take care of your health. Exercise. Remember that just like you, everyone has or has had a mother.  If you’re lucky enough to share a life with a husband or a wife, tell them you love them as often as humanly possible every single day and never go to bed angry with them. Sing and dance as often as possible. Find time on a daily basis to spend a few minutes alone with yourself and your thoughts to simply be silent and listen for the Voice inside.

Pause. Double pause.

And remember to breathe. We are ALL stardust. And that is truth… Oh! And always use sunscreen.

G: Thank you Randy!
RJ: Thank you, Galinsky!

And with that, he bops down 7th Street, most likely heading toward another NYC evening of art and mindful mayhem. Keep up to date with Randy here.

For Real? Newport Nirvana: Nation’s First Mass-Produced Joints

Mike Adams
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For Real? Newport Nirvana: Nation’s First Mass-Produced Joints

Fake news has been a part of culture for decades, and now problem appears to be as bad as it gets with respect to the topic of marijuana reform. There is no shortage of bogus news floating around in the wild world of the web to tug at the hearts of enthusiastic smokers, many of whom are just champing at the bit to be the first to tell their friends that “Congress Just Legalized Marijuana in All 50 States” or that “Obama Will Sign Executive Order Removing Marijuana From Schedule One.”

And here, folks, is another piece of fake news, this one claiming the tobacco companies have gotten into the business of legal weed and are now preparing to launch a version of marijuana cigarettes under popular brand names.

It was reported on website TMZWorldNEWS reported that the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company was on the verge of bringing a new cannabis cigarette to market called “Newport Nirvana.”

“Reynolds American Inc. Chief Marketing Executive Lawrence Harrison, said in an interview that the company has been ecstatic on the idea of marketing cannabis, and has been monitoring the market for some time,” the story reads. “It was only when the recent legalization initiatives — winning in Colorado and Washington — that the company finally made the decision to take part in the cannabis market.”

This is not the first time phony news purporting Big Tobacco’s involvement in the legal marijuana market has spread across Facebook like a wild-eyed zombie virus. Last year, a story emerged suggesting that Phillip Morris had gotten into the cannabis business and was now selling a marijuana cigarette called Marlboro M.

In fact, the latest Newport marijuana story appears to somewhat of a blatant rip off of the one about Phillip Morris.

Of course, neither story is true, nor will there ever be any factual basis in the stories like them that are destined to show up in your news feed sometime within the next year. That’s because there is absolutely no chance the major tobacco companies (or any other large multi-national corporation) will even consider getting into the business of marijuana as long as the substance remains outlawed by the federal government.

Yet the moment Uncle Sam drops the prohibition shenanigans and decides too allow the cannabis plant to be taxed and regulated in manner similar to alcohol and cigarettes, as President Obama recently said it should be, there is a possibility that Big Tobacco will come swopping down to get in on the action. But the industry does not appear to be hanging around, waiting for major changes to the nation’s marijuana laws in order to jump on a new profit center. These companies are generating more than enough revenue (almost a half trillion dollars globally) without becoming part of the marijuana game.

So, the next time you run across a story that suggests Big Tobacco is preparing to market a new marijuana cigarette, just know that the tale is most likely completely untrue and then move on to something with a little more substance — like an article by Mike Adams on The Fresh Toast.

These Toys Can Record Your Children And Send The Data To A Defense Contractor

TFT Editors
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These Toys Can Record Your Children And Send The Data To A Defense Contractor

We don’t have hoverboards or holographic phones yet, but our toys are definitely more futuristic. They can connect to the internet with people around the world, respond in emotive or artificially intelligent ways, and learn from us—or about us. A murderous Chucky doll is no longer as scary as the real creepiest dolls that track a child’s data.

Meet My Friend Cayla and i-Que Intelligent Robot, two toys that, as Consumerist outlines in detail, are allegedly violating laws in the U.S. and overseas by collecting voice and usage data from the kids who call them playmates. They connect to a parent’s Bluetooth, and using their internet connection, are able to answer children’s questions and take part in what seems like a conversation, kind of like Siri on an iPhone.

Consumerist describes the setup process:

Cayla in particular asks for multiple pieces of personal information — the child’s name, their parents’ names, their school name, their hometown, among other questions — so it can converse more naturally. The app also allows for location setting, and both the Cayla and i-Que apps collect users’ IP addresses. So far this is pretty straightforward. The Terms of Service for both toys say that they collect data in order to improve the way the toys work, and for “other services and products. Researchers studied the way the toys work, the complaint continues, and it turns out that they send audio files to a third party: Nuance Communication’s servers at the company’s headquarters in Massachusetts.

Nuance is a defense contractor that sells voice biometric solutions to military, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies. Part of their privacy policy states, very shadily, that “We may use the information that we collect for our internal purposes to develop, tune, enhance, and improve our products and services, and for advertising and marketing consistent with this Privacy Policy.”

As with most technology these days, Cayla’s terms of use prompt only pops up once, when setting it up, and isn’t accessible again. It’s a tome of legal jargon that parents are expected to read, and without clicking “I agree” to all 3,800 words, they won’t be able to use the toy.

So, when a child is playing with one of these toys—which, by the way, don’t have a walkie talkie-style function for a back-and-forth, but are always listening as long as they’re switched on—they’re potentially providing sensitive information about their identity or location to would-be hackers at worst, and a defense contractor for research and development at best. This isn’t what we imagined with “He hears you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake.” For goodness sake.

[h/t Consumerist]

Marijuana Myth Busters: What Is Cottonmouth And How Do You Fix It?

Natalie Stoclet
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Marijuana Myth Busters: What Is Cottonmouth And How Do You Fix It?

Not only is smoke weed giving us dry mouth, it’s also affecting our ability to breakdown those five bags of Cheetos we ate afterwards. Here’s why.

We all know the feeling. Without warning, it strikes. Cottonmouth, also known as dry mouth, has been a side effect since the very first marijuana smoker sparked up. It can happen to anyone, but do we know why?

What Is Cottonmouth?

In an exploration of the science behind cottonmouth conducted at the University of Buenos Aires, they found that the answer lies in the body’s cannabinoid system. Cannabinoid receptors are a vital component of the Endocannabinoid system that is involved in pain-sensation, mood, and memory.

Every single one of us has cannabinoid receptors, and our puffing pleasures are directly informing two cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) found in our submandibular glands (SMG). These are major salivary glands located beneath the floor of the mouth. They each weigh about 15 grams and contribute almost 70 percent of the saliva we secrete.

Blame The THC

So why does this matter? These Argentinian scientists discovered that every time you take a toke of the smoke, the cannabinoid receptors in these glands latch on to the THC. This causes the glands to stop interpreting messages from the parasympathetic nervous system that tells them to produce saliva. These messages can be blocked in two unique ways, either by binding to receptors in salivary glands or receptors in the brain where the signals originate from.


via GIPHY

As we know, our beloved Mary Jane can teach us a lot of things. In this case, we learn a lesson in biology. Saliva plays a huge role in digestion, which is what happens when the munchies strike. Saliva helps to not only lubricate the passage of food from the mouth to the stomach, but also contains digestive enzymes of its own that assist in the breakdown of starches and fats. Essentially, not only is smoke giving us that dry mouth, but it is also affecting our ability to breakdown those five bags of Cheetos you ate after smoking.


via GIPHY

How Do You Fix It?

And while researchers have yet to find a tangible solution to the temporary cottonmouth that affects kush consumers worldwide, they’ve been researching ways that they can use this knowledge to treat issues related to saliva production. In targeting cannabinoid receptors, scientists may be able to increase or decrease saliva levels in patients that suffer from a variety of conditions known to cause a permanent state of cottonmouth.

There may not be a current cure for the wide spread side effect, but there are definitely measures you can take to lessen the blow. Avoiding sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco will help reduce the level of cottonmouth. As always, drinking plenty of water. Milk, hard candy and mouthwash are also great ways to combat cottonmouth. Smokers have been dealing with cottonmouth for decades, and it hasn’t lessened the love for the beloved bud. Of all the benefits and reasons to love Mary Jane, a little bit of dry mouth never hurt anyone.


via GIPHY

A Grinch Move Shanking Frosty The Snowman

Brendan Bures
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A Grinch Move Shanking Frosty The Snowman

If the Grinch taught us one thing, not everyone exudes Christmas cheer. That was made apparent in St. Louis recently, when a Grinch jumped out of a getaway vehicle to stab Frosty the Snowman, resting peacefully on a resident’s front lawn. Now this Frosty was inflatable and this Grinch wasn’t green, but Christmas cheer deflated nonetheless from such a senseless act.

However Jeff Diggs, the owner of the home, caught the crime on act and shared with KTVI what happened.

“We could see a pickup truck come down the street — down the alley here — a passenger jumped out you can see him run up to the snowman here and shank it, try to cut the rope and then he took off went back to the truck and took off,” Diggs said.

As you can see above, the treacherous deed took no more than half a minute to enact. But Diggs is maintaining holiday cheer and created a GoFundMe page to help heal Frosty’s stab wound.

“Frosty received a total of nine stitches from the stabbing. He is doing well and recovering from his injury,” Diggs wrote on the GoFundMe page. “He insisted on going back to work immediately because he believes in the magic of the holiday season and hopes that all people will come together and learn to love and respect each other regardless of our differences!”

Funds raised from GoFundMe will be given to Judge Joe Murphy’s Good Kids In Need, a local St. Louis charity.

 

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